To the manor born

Who lives in a house like this?

Hmm, a girl can but dream.

This house has two faces; the earlier Baroque west front...

and the slightly later Palladian east front.

Yes. this is all one house; Wentworth Woodhouse, a hidden gem in South Yorkshire with a long and chequered history. It's the largest privately-owned house in the country. 

There's an article here which will give you some sense of its history and current situation, and I can recommend the book Black Diamonds; The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty, by Catherine Bailey, about the Fitzwilliam family and the house.

But I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Actually, this pushmi-pullyu of a house has another structure nestling between the two fronts; the remains of the earlier 1630s house built for Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, who was beheaded at Tower Hill in 1641. Charles I couldn't save his right-hand man, and later, after the Civil War, he was also unable to save himself.

Strafford is buried in the churchyard at Wentworth, the lovely estate village.

It wasn't all history and architecture, honestly!

 

That's the Rockingham Mausoleum looking hazy in the distance.

 

 

In 1946, the Labour Minister of Fuel and Power, Manny Shinwell, ordered open cast mining to access the seam of coal running underneath Wentworth Woodhouse. 

The mining reached almost up to the house itself, stopping where the grass ends now, destroying the drive, lawns, woodland and formal gardens, and leaving 50ft of debris and rubble piled in front of the windows of the house.

Class warfare? Probably. Our tour guide quoted Shinwell as saying he hoped the house fell into the hole left by the mining. It didn't, but it has suffered from subsidence and there has been an ongoing attempt to gain compensation from the government to pay to stabilise the affected parts of the house.

The house has only recently been opened up for tours of the interior. Photography is not allowed inside, for which you are probably most grateful...

A grand house deserves vintage brocade, bold colours, and a wild print, don't you think?

1950s Marie Moore brocade jacket - Second to None

Lurex vest top - gift from Sara

Palazzo pants, jewellery, shoes and sunglasses - charity shopped

I do like a stately home, although mine is anything but! 

 But then I don't have to deal with the estimated £42 million repair bill facing the owner of Wentworth Woodhouse. A visit will do me just fine. 

xxxx

I was born standing up and talking back

I consider myself an equal opportunity vintage lover.

I am quite happy to wear clothes from any decade, although I confess the late 1960s/early 1970s have my heart.

But I am a big fan of dresses from the late 1970s/early 1980s too, like these two beauties.

They remind me so much of my mid/late teenage years, and the 1950s revival at that time.

Grease, Happy Days, and the inexplicable success of Showaddywaddy, Darts and Shakin' Stevens - you remember, don't you?

1980s C&A dress - Ebay

Belt, shoes, sunglasses, bangles - charity shopped 

I love this dress - it has a built-in net petticoat and a fabulous print.

1970s dress - Ebay 

Belt, bangles and necklace - charity shopped

Sandals - retail (sale)

Fashion always references earlier styles; I'm no purist, I am as happy wearing a 1970/80s-does-50s dress as a 1950s original.

But I'm adding a little 1950s authenticity with my delicious Marie Moore brocade jacket...

which has the loveliest beaded buttons ever!

Owen and I headed out for a quick food shop, cafe stop, and charity shop browse yesterday.

The local hospice chazza had some fabulous vintage stock; I suspect it had come from the same donor, since it was all the same size. Great labels, and great style - whoever owned these clothes had excellent taste and the budget to afford some classy labels.

I didn't actually buy any of it, although I enjoyed trying it on; the aqua Berkertex maxi dress was a temptation, but I just couldn't see myself wearing it.

Owen (sitting on a stool outside the changing room waiting for me) rolled his eyes and said it's a bit revealing, Mum. He wasn't wrong, I would have needed to fix the neckline so I didn't flash my bra...

I didn't buy any of these either, but I thought they were fabulous.

I did buy a 1970s copper pendant, and some thread and zips. 

£2 the lot. 

 Hey, Big Spender.

At some point during our excursion, I started singing Trouble by Elvis Presley. More to myself than to Owen, I wondered what film it was from and guessed (rightly) that it featured in King Creole.

Owen said Elvis made films?

I forget that he hasn't had the experience of all those Sunday afternoons and Christmases when Elvis films were shown; you never see them now.

We discussed the birth of rock and roll, the shock of the new, Col. Tom Parker, selling out, and whether we would play safe - take the big money, or take a risk.

I don't object to clothes which are influenced by earlier styles, and I am also happy to acknowledge that music cannot be produced in a vacuum either.

But I do like to go back to the original source sometimes.

I showed this clip to Owen when we got home; he laughed (he may have thought I was making the song up), commented that it was cool - for an old film, and marveled at the fact that my brocade jacket is about the same age as the film (1958).

                                                                        

They're all tied up together, aren't they, clothes and music?

But I refuse to be a vintage snob about either. If you like it, wear it, and listen to it.

Preferably sing along too!

Linking to Sacramento's Share-in-Style - it's still Summer, just about...

xxxx

Hand in hand through their parklife

Late mornings and lazy days, picnics and parks, sunshine and blue skies, with no particular place to go, no deadlines, no schedule.

I could get used to this.

 

 

The kids and I went to Endcliffe Park last week.

 

You're never too old for an enthusiastic game of Pooh Sticks.

We watched a pair of rats pottering about on the edge of the playground; no one else spotted them, but I imagine the park is something of a rat paradise. Plenty of woodland and undergrowth for cover, water, and kids dropping sandwiches and ice creams all over the place, fine pickings for these resourceful little critters.

(Em, on the fruit/rodent scale, I'd say they were the size of very large bananas.)

 

The 1971 children's book Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, one of my all-time favourites, has engendered a love and admiration for rats in our family.

 This does not extend as far as Chief Rat Catcher Charlie.

 

Her Majesty remains unamused, probably because she has been made to hang around with the working folk. 

 

Claudia and I went into town together on Saturday.

Don't ask - I have no idea why I was pulling that face, but it's fairly typical of what I look like In Real Life. 

 

It's a wonder anyone is prepared to be seen out with me really...

 

This little patch of meadow is in the centre of Sheffield; just lovely.

We admired the vintage dresses in Mooch, and perused the charity shops. 

 

Claudia has had a massive growth spurt recently (as you can see from the photo above, she's only half a head shorter than me now) and I am having to replace most of her clothes. On this occasion, we only found a skirt for school, and most of the things I held up to show her triggered a WTF? face. It's slow progress.

I found this skirt for me - I was drawn to the 1970s styling. It's Whistles, and cost me £3.99. 

 

A quick browse of their website reveals full price skirts retail at well over £100. That makes me feel smug!

Me;

1950s Marie Moore brocade jacket - Second to None, Walsall

Floral palazzos, camisole, belt, necklace, bangles and sunglasses - charity shopped

Carpet bag - gift

Micromosaic brooch - vintage charity sale

Sandals - retail (sale)

 

Claudia;

Shirt, shorts and Converse - charity shopped (the Converse were from the £1.49 charity shop - Best Bargain Ever!)

Vest - hand-me-down

Haircut - by me

I'll be taking my floaty floral trousers along to Sacramento's Share-in-Style link-up.

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping to crack on with a bit of sewing this week, and enjoy some more of this.

 

Hope your weekend involved blue skies and whatever make you happy!

xxxx

Are you being served?

Ground floor:

perfumery, stationery and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food.

Going up...

Would you give this woman a job?

 

 

 

She's fairly bright, can string a sentence together, has a smattering of social skills, turns up on time, and is willing to work for minimum wage, while smiling and burying her natural bile and sarcasm deep within for the duration of the working day.

 

 

 

I passed my telephone interview on Monday, and I have been invited to a Recruitment Event tomorrow, which involves group and individual interviews.

Since I usually dress like this...

 

... I drew a bit of a blank in my wardrobe when searching for some suitable interview wear.

 

So I panicked, and went and bought something new.

 

It still has its tags on, I might change my mind and take it back, but so far, I'm thinking it's OK.

 

Vix suggested wearing my green 1950s jacket, and who am I to disagree?

I know I can't go for an interview for a high street store dressed head to toe in vintage. 

And I know that if I am offered a job, I will be expected to wear a uniform. 

And I don't want them to write me off from the get-go as a maverick who can't play by the rules. 

 

But I also feel the need to keep just a little bit of me in the mix. 

1950s brocade jacket - Second to None

Betty Jackson Black @ Debenhams dress - retail, sale (linking cos I want a job)

Shoes and bangles - charity shopped

Micromosaic brooch - charity vintage sale

I might swap out these tights for nude fishnets or sheer black; I might take off the fabric tie belt that came with the dress and add a narrow green leather one.

Over-thinking it? 

You betcha.

The last interview I had was 3 years ago. 

 

It was for a job which I should have been able to do with my eyes closed, linked as it was to my old career in mental health. The role was well within my professional skill set and experience.

The panel of interviewers had a sheet in front of them where they ticked a box as I said what they wanted to hear. As the interview progressed, I was aware that they were looking at me, and not ticking anything. 

 

I, quite literally, did not tick m/any of their boxes. And there was me, thinking that was merely a metaphor...

So, err, yeah, I'm feeling a bit anxious. Forgive me.

 

I want not to care. I want to laugh about it, and be dismissive of a recruitment process which seems disproportionately intensive for the position of temporary shop assistant .  

 

But I also want the job. 

 

I want to get back into paid employment, to have half a hope of starting again as a working person, with earning potential. I want my kids to see me as able to do something other than cooking and ironing. Only Eldest (just about) remembers me as a working mum.

(As always, no disrespect to stay-at-home mums intended at all. Only speaking for myself, no judgment implied about anyone else.)

1970s maxi dress - gift from that divine cover girl Helga

1970s English Lady lurex blouse - Ebay

Sandals and necklace - retail (sale)

Bangles and belt - charity shopped 

 

I thought I would get my vintage colour on today, to get it out of my system before tomorrow!

 

The blouse was a freebie; I bought the matching maxi skirt on Ebay, and the seller included the top in the parcel, which was kind.

 

 

So here I am, pondering the elements of good customer service, what skills I have to offer, and how to sell frocks. Or bras. Or toys. Or sheets.

Wish me luck!

xxxxx